Love Over Honor
by ame-ryuu
Summary: Ranma makes a choice--is there something he needs more than honor?


Love over Honor  
  
disclaimer~ I don't own Ranma 1/2  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
I hate Ryouga.  
  
With all of my heart I hate him. And I also hate that stupid oath he made me swear.  
  
Akane would probably hate him too, if she knew who her beloved P-chan really is. Of course I can't   
  
tell her. Which is something else I hate.  
  
Right now he is in her room, snuggled up on her bed I'm sure. Not that I can see or anything, I'm  
  
on the roof above her room, resisting the urge to lean over and look in her window. However, the ensuing  
  
fight wouldn't be worth the effort, so I'll stay here for now.  
  
It's not like nobody knows that P-chan is Ryouga. In fact, everyone seems to know but Akane. Which  
  
is ironic because of all people she should know. She sleeps with him for heaven's sake. Heck, even   
  
Shinnosuke knows. Ryouga turned into a pig right in front of him when we all jumped in to save Akane at  
  
Ryugenzawa. Not that Shinnosuke would remember anyway........  
  
The only reason that Akane doesn't know is because she is never around or is conveniently   
  
unconcious when Ryouga changes. Which is either dumb luck on Ryouga's part or whatever deity exists up  
  
there is rolling around laughing it's omnipotent head off at me.  
  
I can hear her talking to him! Here's an oath for Ryouga, I swear on my family's honor that when I  
  
catch him I'm gonna pop his piggy head off it's body! How's that for a promise? Of course, I'm sure   
  
Akane will walk up at just the right moment to see me in the act and will punt me into low Earth orbit.  
  
Then I start thinking that I should tell Akane, just to spite ol' bacon breath down there. It  
  
would serve him right, cuddling up to her chest like he does. Why, to sacrifice her honor that way!  
  
I stop that train of thought and dwell on it. Ryouga is harming Akane's honor by sleeping with her.  
  
I should tell her to preserve her honor, right? But I can't do that without destroying my own honor.  
  
Going in circles like that is giving me a headache. There has to be something I'm missing, but I can't  
  
figure it out. What could be more important than honor?  
  
  
  
Finally, I decide that sitting here isn't doing me any good, and that the thunderclouds forming   
  
just at the horizon don't look friendly, so I head down to the kitchen. Kasumi is there, making dinner.  
  
"Hello, Ranma. Are you hungry?" Leave it to Kasumi to offer me food when I feel like I want to  
  
barf. Then the idea hits me. I swear, I feel the lightbulb come on in my brain. And suddenly I know what  
  
I have to do.  
  
"Actually, could I have some tea, Kasumi?" If she noticed my evil grin, Kasumi didn't comment. I  
  
don't know how she could miss it though. I swear, I must look like the Chesire Cat. "Make that two  
  
please," I amend. "I'll take some to Akane."  
  
  
  
Kasumi smiled at me knowingly, seemingly glad that I was attempting to be nice to Akane.   
  
She set the kettle on the stove and sat down at the table and stared at me. I twitched slightly  
  
under her stern gaze. "What are you up to?"  
  
The question throws me. It's not normal for Kasumi to ask questions like that. Apparently she had  
  
noticed my smile. I rack my brain for a moment, trying to come up with something to say. "Deciding what  
  
is most important to me," I say eventually, earing myself another approving smile. Just then, the kettle  
  
starts to whistle, and Kasumi moves to pour the water into cups. When the tea is done, she hands me a  
  
tray with the cups on it. I notice there are three.  
  
Kasumi smiles sagely. "For you, Akane, and P-chan," she informs me. "Though I don't think P-chan   
  
will want a drink." I do a double take. For a second there, I could have sworn I saw her wink. I   
  
realize that maybe Kasumi knows more about what goes on in this house than she lets on. My turn to smile   
  
at her.  
  
"I don't think he will either. Thanks Kasumi!" I scurry up the stairs to deliver the tea.  
  
I reach Akane's door, take a deep breath, swallow audibly, screw up all my courage and knock just  
  
under the hanging duck sign. I hear shuffling noises and Akane swings the door open. I note that she is  
  
holding P-chan.  
  
"I brought tea," I explain before she can say anything. Akane smiles and moves aside so I can   
  
enter. Ryouga glares at me suspiciously, but there is little he can do now.  
  
Akane perches herself on the floor opposite me, the tray between us, P-chan on her lap, still   
  
glaring. If looks could kill, I'd be dead and six feet under by now.  
  
"This is nice of you," muses Akane, picking up her cup. "You even brought some for P-chan!" I can  
  
see she's really impressed, so I go with it.  
  
"Yeah, I figured I could maybe start getting along better with him," I bluff. Akane looks at me,  
  
calculating, but lets it pass. "Here, I'll give it to him," I offer, streching out my hands.  
  
"BWEEEEEE!" Akane struggles to hold him as Ryouga goes wild trying to escape. Wrestling him into my  
  
grasp, Akane sighs, looking at him scoldingly.  
  
"Now P-chan! Behave," she orders. Ryouga looks at me with fear in his eyes, knowing what I am going  
  
to do.  
  
"Here ya go, little buddy," I croon, picking up the teacup. "Open wide." Ryouga oblidges, holding  
  
his mouth wide open. I see the fear in his eyes as I bring the cup closer, steam rising from it. Just as  
  
I get close, I let some tea spill.  
  
The reaction is instantanious. Suddenly a very un-piggish and very naked Ryouga is in my lap. I  
  
hear Akane's scream of confusion and outrage. I stare at Ryouga, who is attempting to cover himself.   
  
"She is worth more than my honor," I say. "Run. Now!" Ryouga scrambles up and runs, stark naked, out of  
  
Akane's room.  
  
I look at Akane.I feel sorry for her. Ryouga has violated her trust, and I can see her physically  
  
shaking in anger, though I can't tell who it's directed at, me or Ryouga. Finally she spoke.  
  
"That lying pig. That lying PIG!"  
  
I decide to throw myself at her mercy before she turns on me.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I swore on my honor that I wouldn't. I just finally realized  
  
what is important to me, and that some things are worth more than others." I'm praying that my Saotome  
  
foot-in-the-mouth technique doesn't kick in.  
  
The anger fades from her eyes. "More important than your honor? What is more important to you than  
  
that?"  
  
Time to punt. "Love."  
  
If at all posible, I think that I floored her more with that simple word than the time I told her  
  
she was cute when she smiled. Akane opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Then she choked out  
  
"Love? You mean it?"  
  
I don't trust my voice, so I nod instead. Next thing I know, I'm pinned down because Akane has just  
  
glomped me worse than Shampoo ever did. I decide that I was right, there are things more important than  
  
honor.  
  
Outside, the rain started to fall. 


End file.
